HERO HUNT

We want to challenge you! Too often, authors think they have to tell you everything. Well, we know that you can track down even more interesting stories of real heroes on your own if we provide a "trail." So, get your computer ready or your set of encyclopedias‚ and start hunting!

All the new heroes you will discover have some connection with one of our 50, Think about the links, and figure out how you might become even more connected if a particular hero piques your curiosity.

It's not a contest, but we would love to know how many heroes you found before you turned to the answers. Email us at the email address found in this book's introduction.

HAPPY HUNTING!

1. (Jane Addams) Just as Miss Addams was crusading to help the poor, another courageous woman was raising her voice to help the mentally ill. At one time, people who were mentally ill received time in jail instead of medical care. This woman fought and won. Major changes followed. Who is she?

2. (Susan B. Anthony) Susan B. is sort of the MVP of the All-Star team of suffragettes. You'll learn about some of the other team members from the information you receive from Seneca Falls people like Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott. But there's an earlier champion of woman's rights in our country. During the founding days of our new nation, she continually reminded her husband of the importance of equal rights for women. He listened but didn't break from the traditions of the times. Who is this woman? Hint: she became our second First Lady.

3. (Clara Barton) Congress recently named this modern day "angel" of a very different battlefield an honorary U.S. citizen. Her "battlefields" were city slums in India, where she and her "sisters" provided care for the poorest of the poor. Who is this remarkable person?

4. (Elizabeth Blackwell) This accomplished African American surgeon also knew what it was like to struggle against prejudice while pursuing a dream. He crusaded for better medical care for black people, counseled and assisted black medical students, encouraged black women to become nurses, and helped found one of the first interracial hospitals in the United States. Who is he?

5. (Rachel Carson) We Americans love our cars, and we drive more of them than any nation in the world. But have our automobiles always been as safe as they should have been? One person didn't think so, and he wrote a book called Unsafe at Any Speed to get his message out to consumers and car manufacturers. And he was successful. Who is he?

6. (Jimmy Carter) One of the humanitarian efforts that Jimmy Carter and his family support is building homes for poor people. It's a national effort called Habitat for Humanity. Who is the husband-and-wife team‚ two of Jimmy's real heroes, who started and continue to run this wonderful organization?

7. (George Washington Carver) Dr. Carver worked with peanuts, but this famous scientist experimented with corn. Her parents did not want her to attend college, but she found a way to go. Genetics was her specialty. Who is she?

8. (Bill Cosby) As a child, Bill's loving mother, Anna, often read him the classic books written by one of our country's greatest authors. His stories of mischievous boys like Tom and Huck helped shape Bill’s funny stories. Who is the author?

9. (Walt Disney) This "dreamer's" characters are also a wonderful part of our popular culture. Some of you learned to count and to read with their help when you visited their "Street." And surely all of us know about the romance between a certain pig and a frog! Who is this heroic artist?

10. (John Glenn) He never flew in outer space, yet he's called The Father of the U.S. Space Program. He was the guiding force behind our efforts to explore the new frontier. His work with rockets, beginning in the 1920s, paved the way for men walking on the moon. Who is he?

11. (Milton Hershey) This woman was also a successful entrepreneur, who invented special hair-care products for African-American women. In 1918 she became the first African-American woman to become a millionaire. Although she lived quite comfortably, she also donated a great deal of money to the NAACP, the YMCA, a school in West Africa, and to educational funds to help women and African-Americans. Who is she?

12. (Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan) A very famous inventor was a good friend of Helen’s parents. This man recommended Annie Sullivan as the teacher who could help young Helen. All his life he hoped his inventions would benefit people with hearing problems. Who is he?

13. (Jackie Joyner-Kersee) As a child, her legs were crippled by the terrible disease known as polio. But by the age of eight she had learned how to walk. Then she learned to run. She was the first American woman to win three Olympic gold medals in running events. Who is she?

14. (Robert E. Lee) This present-day general was the first African American to serve as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the highest military post in the United States. However, this man is known not only for his military expertise but also for his strong convictions and his leadership of the volunteer movement in the United States as well. Who is he?

15. (John Muir) Many kids think he wasn't real. You've probably read folk tales about the man who traveled around many parts of the eastern United States planting apple trees. Wearing his cooking pot as his hat, Johnny Appleseed became a familiar sight to frontier settlers. Read about one of our first conservationists and answer this question: What was his real name?

16. (I. M. Pei) Another Asian-American designed a very special monument found in our nation’s capital. The simple "Wall" has the names of all Americans killed in the Vietnam War (1957-1975). Who designed this beloved memorial?

17. (Christopher Reeve) Although a 1967 diving accident left her without the use of her legs or hands, this woman is an author artist, and advocate for the disabled. During her term on the National Council on Disability, the Americans with Disabilities Act became law. She is the only person to receive an honorary doctorate from Columbia University. Who is she?

18. (Roy Rogers and Dale Evans) Roy and Dale weren't the only Western stars popular in the United States. Another famous "cowboy" actually had Native American roots. He was an expert at doing rope tricks and at making people laugh with his comments on life, his country and the way people treat each other. Even the world's leaders paid attention when he spoke. Generous and truthful, he once said, "I've never met a man I didn't like." When he was killed in a plane crash, the nation mourned. Who is he?

19. (Theodore Roosevelt) TR's face is one of four on the largest sculpture in the United States. Who are the three other presidents on the sculpture, what is its name, where is it located, and who is the brilliant artist who created it? (We hope all of you have a chance to see it in person someday. It's really amazing!)

20. (Jonas Salk) About one hundred years ago, a terrible disease called yellow fever killed many people. A famous medical researcher dedicated his life to finding its cause and did so. A major research hospital in our nation’s capital is named in his honor. Who is he?

21. (Tecumseh) Almost none of the Native American nations had a written language. Their culture used only the spoken word. Even the Power Words quoted above were recorded by an English-speaking listener. One brilliant Cherokee, with the help of his equally intelligent daughter, developed an alphabet for his nation. Who is this father-daughter team?

22. (Ida B. Wells) Talk about the power of words! This colonial patriot’s words made such "common sense" to the people in the American colonies that they wanted to be independent. Before he wrote his famous pamphlet, many colonial men wanted to remain Englishmen. After they read his words, many in 1775 wanted to become independent Americans. Who is he?

23. (Elie Wiesel) He personally saved over 50,000 people from being killed during the Holocaust. He wasn't a U.S. citizen, but Congress believed he was so special that they made him an Honorary American (one of only five people in history so honored). Note the address of the Holocaust Museum.

24. (Wright Brothers) The story of aviation is full of fascinating and courageous heroes. Among them are Charles Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart, whose solo flights earned them a place in history (What do you mean you never heard of them? Well go look them up!) Anyway the famous aviator we have in mind is still flying. This person became the first to break the sound barrier. Today lots of jets fly faster than the speed of sound, but this pioneering pilot was the first to push his plane into sonic boom territory. Who is he?